Human
Because even the most cold-hearted people have feelings.
Clove is three years old when she starts training.
Her dark green eyes fix apon the shiny metal and she is entranced by it's smoothness, it's sleekness and it's ability to slide swiftly across white skin and leave scarlett lines for all to see.
She feels almost enthralled by the feeling of this shiny new toy, it even comes in a brown mahogany box, she strokes the box with her thumbs and marvels at the smooth surface. She gets up every so often and peeks inside the box to see the knives grinning back at her, all seven of her knives, she decides seven is her lucky number.
She feels affection for an inanimate object, but it's better than feeling nothing at all.
Seven years later time seems to have changed her, it made her more exact, more intelligent.
And more deadly.
She wasn't like the arrogant snobs from District 1, she had actual sense, unlike those parents who call their children 'Jewel' and 'Platinum'
Clove snorted, Idiots.
When she is shoved to the ground from the right side it's like she's being punished for her harsh inward teasing. Her head snaps up to see the culprits, she almost sighs in annoyance, it's Dickon and Felix two boys she beat out with her score of 10 in training.
'Don't you dare try and outrun me again tommorow.' Felix threatened his Grey eyes imploring her. almost threating her into saying anything, Clove stares back daringly holding her tongue until they laugh and walk away, she looked down and saw that she was pushed into a wet puddle, she inwardly groaned.
'Are you alright?' A voice brought her out of her musings, she looked to see a dark haired girl staring down at her.
'Perfect, can you help me up?' she asked, she really didn't like asking for help but because of the cold her legs have nearly gone numb. The girl held out her hands for Clove to latch on to and pulled her up. She was soaking wet, she tried to ring out the water from her clothes but if anything it made her colder.
'Oh great, how will I explain this to Gretel.' She mumbled, the dark haired girl pulled a face 'My tutor.' Clove ellabourated and the other girl nodded in acknowledgment.
'I know, my brother was trained at the academy before he won last year.' She explained.
Clove's movement stopped, was she being serious? Her brother was Julius Hart? Excitement sprung through her body, perhaps she could get to like this girl.
Two years later, things get stranger, and stranger.
The girl Cynthia, had become a frequent occurance in Clove's life, the dark haired girl who was always blushing and the girl with the knives had started a strange friendship.
'Clove where did you get that bruise on your arm,' A pale hand laid softly on the tender flesh which was turning black and blue, Clove brushed off the hand and looked into dark hazel eyes which held concern, something that was foreign in district 2.
'I was training with Cato, he's one of the best there.' Clove turned her head and narrowed her eyes to see the ascending figure of a large blonde boy ahead of her and the corners of her mouth turned up in delight.
Cato
'That's Cato.' Clove looked at Cynthia and pointed to the harrowing blonde boy heading towards them, Cynthia bit her lip in slight hesistation and fear as the teenager nicknamed 'The God Of War' came towards them.
'Clove I think I'd better go.' Cynthia murmured with anxiety and Clove turned her head to see her friends face contorted with terror, she felt herself soften slightly and hooked her arm through the taller girl's and raised her eyebrows as Cato walked in long strides in their direction.
From Cynthia's Mythology novel collection, Clove could tell that in some mixed up version of a Greek tale , 'The God Of War, Aries.' would naturally fall for somebody as innocent as 'The Goddess Of Spring, Persephone.' as the 'Goddess Of Battle Strategy, Athena.' 'The Wise One' would watch on amused, yet bewildered.
But stranger things had happened.
Another Two Years, with Cato and Cynthia at her side, had made her feel more emotion than she had ever felt before, the constant changing of the strange and sometimes terrifying word had become more bearable, until.
Clove is accidently picked for The Hunger Games, after Cato volunteers, she tries to hide her absolute horror as she is picked next to her only female friend's love of sorts behind a cool mask of indifference.
'Oh god Clove i'm so sorry.' The girl who was almost ever happy, sobs in anguish as her boyfriend volunteers to partake in killing others for glory and her best friend, who did not want to picked, at least not this year is handpicked by death himself.
'Don't cry, If I don't come back then Cato will.' Clove tried her best efforts to smile at her, despite the tears that run down her translucent skin and green eyes that try to scan and remember her friends face, before she or Cato kill or get killed in the arena.
'But I want you both, not just one of you, you'll try won't you? to work together?' She nearly stopped breathing as she saw the first defeat in her friends eyes, is it possible that she considered NOT coming back from The Hunger Games?
'They didn't nickname me 'Athena' for nothing did they?' Clove smirked, and Cynthia felt so relieved that Clove would not give up. She would fight not only for her life but Cato's.
An arm pulled Cynthia away from her friend of four years, Clove smiled sadly at the sight, for some reason she felt more sorry for Cynthia.
'Dear Persephone, you have no Aries or Athena to protect you from the hellhounds.' She whispered, and she knew that she and Cato and Cynthia had all failed one another.
During the games, Clove keeps on her Career face, but she knew, and Cato knew, it was all a show, they hated it here, not because they were against each other but because a few months ago they were allies, both protecting each other throughout their young lives, they tried not to talk about Cynthia or the fact that Clove knew that days prior she accidently found a silver band in Cato's coat pocket, engraved.
'CH+CS.'
A wedding ring.
And she knew, just by being here, she had ruined their lives by accidently being chosen, of course there was one main culprit that she despised for this horrible turn of events.
The Capital. Oh god, how she loathed them, perhaps if she had grew up in a normal world she would have been more human, Clove and Cynthia would have been able to go to normal school together and Cato wouldn't have been beaten by his abusive father and made to volunteer for the games.
It's when Glimmer tries to make those blue eyes flutter at Cato, he is reminded painfully of liquid warm dark eyes and an genuine smile instead of finely polished, gleaming white teeth, then even Clove feels a stab of something...
'She wouldn't want us to kill.' Cato muttered while putting the sword into the burning hot fire.
Clove stares at him and tries to tell him he's wrong, but only because it would make them feel better, she realises that if Cynthia were here, she and 'The Girl On Fire.' would have become allies by now, and it makes her feel sick on the inside.
After all Katniss Everdeen, who she decides to call in her head 'Artemis, Goddess with the bows and arrows.' is as pure as 'Persephone.' and she will hate killing her, but embrace that one is down and she and Cato have a chance to get out.
So she says nothing to him but comfortingly pats him on the shoulder.
When Glimmer dies, she is glad, she never liked the blonde idiot anyway, she wasn't worthy of the fine bow and arrows that were given to her, she never should have been here anway.
If Clove had not have attacked 'Artemis.' she never would have gotten caught by Thresh, who heard her taunting the Fire Girl about the little girl who had been killed.
And she never would have had her head smashed into the cornucopia, and if she wasn't on earth, instead of heaven she wouldn't have tried to give Cato a chance to survive, to get back and be happy with Cynthia, but he did try, and she was informed by celestial beings, that it was his time to come here, to be with her.
In the months after the games, Clove has no ego in heaven, she realises that all of the fear, the pain and anguish no longer reside in her, and she is sure that this is the nicest she has ever felt, or been throughout her life.
Clove and Cato watched as Cynthia grieved and grieved for them, they watched her face get thinner, until she resembled a wild deer in headlights, she eventually got over the depression and helped with the wounded in the uprising in the districts, she became close allies with Katniss Everdeen and her younger sister Primrose Everdeen.
And she has to admit, she is rather glad about it.
Clove smiles, as she watches children going to school, making friends and young lovers kissing and laughing, as it should have been for them, the three people in district two who were split apart, by bloodshed and horror, trained into what people wanted them to be, luckily their saviour, Cynthia manages to save them in time.
But she realises it's alright now, because everything she cares about are safe, she is safe, her spirit is safe, Cato is safe and Cynthia is safe, she then realises that it was those two people who kept her moving through those woods, that made her fight, the guilt was gone from the killings, Cynthia had told her story to the world, and was met with undying sympathy and shock.
But previous victors like Katniss, Peeta, and Haymitch weren't shocked, not one bit, because after all.
Clove and Cato were only human.
How was it? Was it too soft and unrealistic? Thank you so much for reading, it means the world to me!
Love and kisses!
Crazy4Beverages.